Gossip

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Francine Prose

Gossip

Q. No. 1:         What is the background of the word gossip?

        Francine prose was an American novelist, essayist and teacher of creative writing. Her essay on "Gossip" makes an interesting and unusual point about a much-criticized activity.

            Gossip is a tool of acquiring information and understanding and it is quite useful and effective.  Almost every one indulges in it at his leisure.  It is not a novel or new activity rather it is a very historical thing or phenomenon.

In the writer’s view it may be the first recreational use of the spoken word.  The caveman at night must have started this activity by describing the stories of people living in the cave next-door.  He may even have exaggerated the information about hunting and other ordinary matters.

            The gossip may have achieved its peak in the eras when people frequently talked about human relation and contact with gods, spirits and fairies.

            Basically this word has been derived from the Anglo-Saxon term "godsibbe" which stands for god-parents and relatives. Later times widened its meanings to include the friends and acquaintance in it. The journey of the evolution of this term and phenomenon is still going on and its climax can be seen in some literature, media and press etc.  So it has quite definite background that needs deep research to dig out its more aspects and meanings.

           

Q. No. 2:         What are the social uses of gossip?

            Gossip is a social activity and it creates connection in the society.  It has been very useful for the development of relations and understanding in the society.  It gives us our identity by telling, what type of people we know, and what mode of life they lead and who we ourselves are.  It is a matter of general observation and experience that we get more than half of the information about our family, our social circle and ourselves, through the tool of gossip.  It makes us feel close to the people, who we talk about.  Generally gossip has a bad press, people take it as something negative, and mean whose chief purpose is to condemn, criticize and scandalize other people.  But it is not true as this activity gives us an insight into the human psychology and character. It gives us a critical attitude of mind that can determine the right and wrong.  This is the source of moral education that tells us the acceptable and non-acceptable norms of society and we censor our own personality for removing the unwanted traits in us.  Thus we make ourselves mature socially, morally, mentally and intellectually.

            Keeping its social uses in mind, writer suggests that its bad name must be cleared.  It should not be called gossip, but should be given the name of oral tradition.  It is a tradition, which orally makes us wiser, and we learn through the experience of other people.

            Some critics believe that gossip is an important part of all well-knit literatures.  Both need pacing, tone, clarity and authenticity.

            So nobody can deny the importance and uses of gossip.  We admit that sometimes it is used negatively but everything in the world has its uses and abuses.  So it should be taken seriously and given its due status in the civilized society.

           

Q. No. 3:         What is the difference between gossiping and exchanging information?

            At our leisure we indulge in gossip and we learn a lot through a passive activity.  Generally people do not find any specific difference between exchanging information and gossiping.  But if we go deep into the sense of the word we can come to know that there are some basic points that differentiate both.

            Exchanging information means to tell someone about some happening objectively, with out mixing one’s own critical point of view in it, while the gossip gives an information as well as the emotional and subjective commentary of the narrator.  The writer gives an example that if someone says, “John got a new Job" its an information, but if one says, "Hey did you hear John got fired?” It is a gossip.  It is so because the second expression is meant to damage the social standing of a person by ridiculing his expulsion from the job.          

        Generally people take gossip as a negative thing that is meant to undermine somebody’s reputation.

Q. No. 4:         How do we learn through gossip?

            Through gossip we learn a lot about the world.  When people discuss about some person, event or idea, they not only tell us the main action but the standard morality of a society is also discussed in detail.  This discussion makes us morally wise.  We come to know about a lot of things in the world.  We cannot experience every thing ourselves so we have to borrow common sense from the opinions of other people and in gossip people discuss the news as well as give their own point of view.  This increases our common sense and makes us mature.

            Gossip not only reveals the character of the man who is being gossiped about but the personality of the gossiper is also marked out.  This makes us understand the variety of actions and characters in the world.

            Little kids learn to tell stories through gossip.  They reveal their true fascination and enchantments when they gossip about fairies, giants and warriors. The literary work also involves gossip.  So as a tool of understanding the role of gossip can never be neglected.

           

Q. No. 5:         What is the conclusion of this essay?

            This essay gives a detailed discussion about the uses and abuses of gossip.  It features gossip in a unique light and goes to an untraditional view about it.  The writer asserts that gossip is thought to be something negative but it has a lot of positive aspects too.  It should not be taken as a vice or weakness because it enlarges the vision of a man and gives him a deep insight into the realities of life.

            Francine Prose presents gossip in a positive light to make us realize its usefulness. And she gives enough arguments to prove that it should not be taken as a frivolous or time-wasting activity